If you raise poultry and your farm is located in a Control Area established as a result of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak, you will need a permit from the Board of Animal Health to move your birds and/or poultry related products on or off your farm. Permit requests can be made directly through an EMRS-Gateway Account. For those without a Gateway Account, permit requests can be made by completing the Minnesota Movement Permit Request form.
Before a permit can be issued, a Monitored Premises Status Questionnaire must be submitted to ensure your birds are not displaying signs of HPAI and that you do not have any dangerous connections to an infected farm. Each Questionnaire must be completed for the origin premises on the permit request, be dated within 48 hours of the planned movement, and submitted along with your permit request.
A permit is needed for movement of the following items into or out of a HPAI Control Area:
- Live birds
- Day-old chicks/poults
- Manure/used litter
Blanket permits will be issued for the following items into or out of a HPAI Control Area:
- Eggs and egg products
- Hatching eggs
- Semen
- Feed
- On-farm mortality pick-up (rendering)
Once a permit request has been approved and the required items are verified, a permit will be issued that contains information related to the specific product being moved. All movements made under this permit will need to be captured. Each movement must include the date the move occurred, the amount of product moved, and the negative testing (lab accession) associated with that movement. Anyone with EMRS-Gateway access must enter each movement via the EMRS-Gateway. Those without this access must report movement information to mnairesponse.bah@state.mn.us within 48 hours of the move.
The following general conditions will be listed on the permit and must be followed. Additional details for each of these conditions are explained below, and in the Secure Poultry Supply (SPS) Permit guidance found on the Secure Poultry Supply website. Blanket permits will be valid for 30 days and will require each movement be reported at the time of move.
Example of conditions on a permit:

Birds to Slaughter from Commercial Farms
This is a moderate to high-risk activity, and each movement will need to be permitted by the Board of Animal Health.
- Monitored Premises Status: A Monitored Premises Status Questionnaire must be completed within 48 hours of the planned movement and submitted with the permit request.
- Testing: Two negative PCR tests (up to 11 bird pooled samples for each barn) must be collected from all birds on the farm prior to movement. Either 2 PCRs collected and tested 1 day prior to move; or 1 PCR collected on 2 consecutive days prior to move with at least 1 PCR collected and tested within 24 hours of move. Test results must be verified by the Board before a permit is issued.
- Completion of Pre-Movement Isolation Period (PMIP): The entire premises must implement the PMIP to minimize the likelihood of flocks being exposed to HPAI close to a scheduled movement date. The PMIP involves a defined period of greatly intensified biosecurity for an entire premises (see Product-specific biosecurity for details) prior to permitted movement of live poultry.
- Turkeys – 8 days
- Broilers, spent hens and breeders – 5 days
- Product-specific biosecurity: Product-specific biosecurity as described in the individual Secure Poultry Supply Plan must be implemented.
- Planned route of transport: A route must be used that avoids other poultry premises when birds are transported to slaughter facilities.
- Movement tracking: Movements must be entered into the EMRS-Gateway within 8 hours of movement. LMS Accessions (test results) should be connected for each movement entered.
Birds from Grow/Holding/Pullet to Finish/Lay Farms
This is a high-risk activity, and each movement will need to be permitted by the Board of Animal Health.
- Monitored Premises Status: A Monitored Premises Status Questionnaire must be completed within 48 hours of the planned movement and submitted with the permit request.
- Testing: Two negative PCR tests (up to 11 bird pooled samples for each barn) must be collected from all birds on the farm prior movement. Either 2 PCRs collected and tested 1 day prior to move; or 1 PCR collected on 2 consecutive days prior to move with at least 1 PCR collected and tested within 24 hours of move. Test results must be verified by the Board before a permit is issued.
- Completion of Pre-Movement Isolation Period (PMIP): The entire premises must implement the PMIP to minimize the likelihood of flocks being exposed to HPAI close to a scheduled movement date. The PMIP involves a defined period of greatly intensified biosecurity for an entire premises (see Product-specific biosecurity for details) prior to permitted movement of live poultry.
- Turkeys – 8 days
- Broilers and Table-Egg Layer Breeders – 5 days
- Pullets – 8 days
- Product-specific biosecurity: Product-specific biosecurity as described in the individual Secure Poultry Supply Plan must be implemented.
- Planned route of transport: A route must be used that avoids other poultry premises when birds are transported.
- Quarantine: Flock must be quarantined at the destination for 21 days.
- Movement tracking: Movements must be entered into the EMRS-Gateway within 8 hours of movement. LMS Accessions (test results) should be connected for each movement entered.
- Control Area Biosecurity Audit: For flocks placed into the Buffer Zone of a Control Area, an on-site biosecurity audit must be conducted to be eligible for indemnity in the event that those birds are subsequently confirmed positive for HPAI. Permit requests should be made 5-7 days in advance of the planned placements so an audit can be scheduled.
Day-Old Chicks/Poults from Commercial Hatchery
This is a negligible to low-risk activity, and each movement will need to be permitted by the Board of Animal Health.
- Transport biosecurity: Must be maintained for all deliveries under this permit.
- Product-specific biosecurity: Product-specific biosecurity as described in the individual Secure Poultry Supply Plan must be implemented.
- Movement tracking: Movements must be entered into the EMRS-Gateway within 8 hours of movement.
- Control Area Biosecurity Audit: For flocks placed into the Buffer Zone of a Control Area, an on-site biosecurity audit must be conducted to be eligible for indemnity in the event that those birds are subsequently confirmed positive for HPAI. Permit requests should be made 5-7 days in advance of the planned placements so that an audit can be scheduled.
Manure and Used-Litter Off of a Non-Infected Farm
Movement of manure from a premises within a HPAI Control Area to an off-site location for spreading or storage will need to be permitted by the Board of Animal Health. Manure and litter can be moved with an approved permit off non-infected poultry farms in a Control Area to an off-site location without poultry. Each permit issued will be valid for three days. If additional time is needed, another permit must be requested.
The origin premises address for each permit request must include the farm location where the manure or litter is currently located. The destination location of each request must be either: A. The destination address of the property where the manure will be applied. Or B. The address of the company or business that will be moving/spreading the litter to multiple destination fields/locations. Field GPS coordinates (decimal degrees) must be documented and reported for each destination field/location manure is delivered to.
- Monitored Premises Status: If birds are on-site, a Monitored Premises Status Questionnaire must be completed within 48 hours of the planned movement and submitted with the permit request.
- Testing: Two negative PCR tests (up to 11 bird pooled samples for each barn) must be collected from all birds on the farm. Either 2 PCRs collected and tested 1 day prior to move; or 1 PCR collected on 2 consecutive days prior to move with at least 1 PCR collected and tested within 24 hours of move. If no birds are currently on-site, a flock test must have been completed for the previous flock on the farm. Test results must be verified by the Board before a permit is issued.
- Transport biosecurity: Must be maintained for all deliveries under this permit.
- Additional biosecurity documentation: May be required if birds are on-site.
- Movement tracking: Movements must be entered into the EMRS-Gateway within 8 hours of movement. LMS Accessions (test results) should be connected for each movement entered, if appropriate.
Eggs from Commercial Farms
This is a negligible-risk activity, and each movement will need to be permitted by the Board of Animal Health. 30-day blanket permits will be issued.
- Monitored Premises Status: A Monitored Premises Status Questionnaire must be completed within 48 hours of the planned movement and submitted with the permit request.
- Testing: Two negative PCR tests (up to 11 bird pooled samples for each barn) must be collected from all birds on the farm prior to each egg movement. Either 2 PCRs collected and tested 1 day prior to move; or 1 PCR collected on 2 consecutive days prior to move with at least 1 PCR collected and tested within 24 hours of move. The first set of tests must be verified by the Board before a permit is issued.
- Eggs held at location: Eggs must be held on site for at least two days after being laid before being transported.
- Transport biosecurity: Must be maintained for all deliveries under this permit.
- Product-specific biosecurity: Product-specific biosecurity as described in the individual Secure Poultry Supply Plan must be implemented.
- Subsequent Movements:
- The HPAI Interactive Map and Monitored Premises questionnaire must be reviewed and any changes to the information on the questionnaire reported as needed. Delivery sites also must be reviewed for any change in status to those premises.
- Testing, as described above, must continue before every move.
- All movements must be entered into the EMRS-Gateway within 8 hours of movement. LMS Accessions (test results) should be connected for each movement entered.
Hatching Eggs from Breeder Farms to Hatchery
This is a negligible to low-risk activity, and each movement will need to be permitted by the Board of Animal Health. 30-day blanket permits will be issued.
- Monitored Premises Status: A Monitored Premises Status Questionnaire must be completed within 48 hours of the planned movement and submitted with the permit request.
- Testing: Two negative PCR tests (up to 11 bird pooled samples for each barn) must be collected from all birds on the farm prior to each egg movement. Either 2 PCRs collected and tested 1 day prior to move; or 1 PCR collected on 2 consecutive days prior to move with at least 1 PCR collected and tested within 24 hours of move. The first set of tests must be verified by the Board before a permit is issued.
- Egg hold: Eggs must be held for two days prior to move.
- Transport biosecurity: Must be maintained for all deliveries under this permit.
- Product-specific biosecurity: Product-specific biosecurity as described in the individual Secure Poultry Supply Plan must be implemented.
- Subsequent Movements:
- The HPAI Interactive Map and Monitored Premises questionnaire must be reviewed and any changes to the information on the questionnaire reported as needed. Delivery sites also must be reviewed for any change in status to those premises.
- Testing, as described above, must continue before every move.
- All movements must be entered into the EMRS-Gateway within 8 hours of movement. LMS Accessions (test results) should be connected for each movement entered.
Semen
This is a moderate-risk activity, and each movement will need to be permitted by the Board of Animal Health. 30-day blanket permits will be issued.
- Monitored Premises Status: A Monitored Premises Status Questionnaire must be completed within 48 hours of the planned movement and submitted with the permit request.
- Testing: Two negative PCR tests (up to 11 bird pooled samples for each barn) must be collected from all birds on the farm prior to each movement. Either 2 PCRs collected and tested 1 day prior to move; or 1 PCR collected on 2 consecutive days prior to move with at least 1 PCR collected and tested within 24 hours of move. The first set of tests must be verified by the Board before a permit is issued.
- Transport biosecurity: Must be maintained for all deliveries under this permit.
- Product-specific biosecurity: Product-specific biosecurity as described in the individual Secure Poultry Supply Plan must be implemented.
- Restrictions at destination premises:
- A two day hold on hatching eggs must be implemented at destination breeder premises post-semen movement/insemination. Hen flocks on the recipient premises must be tested with 2 pools of 11 swabs daily.
- Quarantine: Hen flock on the recipient premises must be quarantined for 21 days.
- Subsequent Movements:
- The HPAI Interactive Map and Monitored Premises questionnaire must be reviewed and any changes to the information on the questionnaire reported as needed. Delivery sites also must be reviewed for any change in status to those premises.
- Testing, as described above, must continue before every move.
- All movements must be entered into the EMRS-Gateway within 8 hours of movement. LMS Accessions should be listed for each movement entered.
Feed
If all biosecurity measures are implemented as recommended, feed delivery is a negligible-risk activity. All feed mills with one or more delivery locations to premises with poultry in a Control Area must be permitted. A 30-day blanket permit will be issued. Feed ingredients delivered to feed mills do not require permitting.
- Monitored Premises Status: Feed mills that have poultry on-site must meet the criteria for a Monitored Premises designation. A Monitored Premises Status Questionnaire must be completed within 48 hours of the planned movement and submitted with the permit request.
- Testing: For feed mills with poultry on-site, Control Areas surveillance testing must be conducted as directed.
- Transport biosecurity: Must be maintained for all deliveries under this permit.
- Movement tracking: Movements must be entered into the EMRS-Gateway within 8 hours of movement. LMS Accessions (test results) should be connected for each movement entered if poultry are on-site.
Mortality Disposal Off of a Non-Infected Farm (Rendering)
Rendering is generally accepted as a high-risk activity, and each movement will need to be permitted by the Board of Animal Health. 30-day blanket permits will be issued for each premises.
- Monitored Premises Status: A Monitored Premises Status Questionnaire must be completed within 48 hours of the planned movement and submitted with the permit request.
- Testing: Two negative PCR tests (up to 11 bird pooled samples for each barn) must be collected from all birds on the farm prior to each movement. Either 2 PCRs collected and tested 1 day prior to move; or 1 PCR collected on 2 consecutive days prior to move with at least 1 PCR collected and tested within 24 hours of move. The first set of tests must be verified by the Board before a permit is issued.
- Mortality hold: Mortality must be held for three days prior to move.
- Transport biosecurity: Must be maintained for all deliveries under this permit.
- Product-specific biosecurity:
- Rendering dumpsters must be maintained outside of Perimeter Buffer Area.
- Pick-ups should be for only one farm with delivery to the plant.
- Rendering trucks used in control areas should be dedicated to control area pickups and separate from other activities outside control areas.
- Planned route of transport: A route must be used that avoids other poultry premises when birds are transported.
- Movement tracking: Movements must be entered into the EMRS-Gateway within 8 hours of movement. LMS Accessions (test results) should be connected for each movement entered.